College Football Commentator Assignments Include Jesse Palmer Working ESPN Thursday Night Games

Musburger, Herbstreit and Salters Return on Saturday Night Football; Nessler, Griese and Maguire and Patrick and Blackledge Return; Franchione Joins ESPN Radio

ESPN’s 2008 college football coverage will feature the return of the deepest roster of experienced and knowledgeable commentators for ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com, ESPN Classic, ESPN Radio and ESPN Mobile TV telecasts.  Highlights:

• Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Lisa Salters will return for their third season on the Saturday Night Football Presented by Southwest Airlines series, broadcast television’s only weekly primetime game (8 p.m. ET on ABC).  Herbstreit will continue to work on ESPN’s Saturday morning College GameDay Built by The Home Depot program (10 a.m. on ESPN).
• Analyst Jesse Palmer, who primarily worked in the studio last year, will call ESPN’s Thursday night games with returning commentator Chris Fowler, analyst Craig James and reporter Erin Andrews (primarily beginning at 7:30 p.m.).  Fowler will continue to host College GameDay Built by The Home Depot.  James will return to work in the studio with host John Saunders and analyst Doug Flutie on Saturday pre-game, halftime and post-game reports on ABC, including the half-hour College Football Countdown at 3 p.m.  In addition to Thursday night games, Palmer will serve as a studio analyst on College Football Live, ESPN’s daily college football show at 3:30 p.m., and Saturdays, primarily on ESPN2 with host Wendi Nix.
• Former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione will join ESPN Radio as an analyst on the weekly schedule of games.  Dave Barnett will call play-by-play with reporter Joe Schad.
• Brad Nessler and analysts Bob Griese and Paul Maguire will call top Saturday broadcasts on ABC with reporter Stacey Dales, who worked the sidelines on ESPN2’s Saturday primetime games last year.
• Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe will call the ESPN College Football Primetime Presented by Hampton Saturday primetime series for the third consecutive year.
• Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham and Jack Arute will return to work Saturday afternoon games on ABC and select ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts.
• Analyst Rod Gilmore, who worked ESPN Radio’s regular-season games last year, will join Joe Tessitore on Saturday and Friday ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts.
• Former Miami Hurricanes head coach Larry Coker will return for his second year as an analyst on ESPNU Saturday afternoon games.
• Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May, ESPN’s Saturday pre-game, halftime, post-game and College Football Final (Saturday’s at midnight) studio crew, will once again work select ESPN and ESPN2 weekday games.
• Former University of Washington and NFL quarterback Brock Huard will join ESPN as an analyst on select games with commentator Bob Wischusen.
• Analyst David Diaz-Infante, who worked primarily on ESPN Regional Television games last year, will call ESPNU’s Saturday primetime games with commentator Clay Matvick.
• Former Tulane and NFL quarterback Shaun King, who has served as an NFL analyst for ESPN on First Take, NFL Live and ESPNEWS, will work as a college football analyst on select ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic games.

Other returning commentator pairings include Mark Jones and Bob Davie; Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Rob Stone; Dave Pasch, Andre Ware and Erin Andrews; Charlie Neal and Jay Walker.  Todd McShay and Trevor Matich will return as analysts on College GameDay on ESPN Radio (Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m.).

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Classic Game Assignments

Note: Additional commentators will be utilized throughout the season.

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU Studio Assignments

The 2008 season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN360.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN Regional Television will feature more than 400 regular-and post-season games, including weekly Saturday night games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.  In addition to weekly ESPN Thursday night games, ESPN or ESPN2 will feature games every Friday and select Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.

- 30 -